Ten days before the mid-term elections, and left leaning outside groups still lag behind their conservative counterparts, and are being outspent by $43 million. But spending by the two Democratic party committees--the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee--have narrowed the gap, leaving them $23 million behind all Republican spending. Just five days ago, Democrats trailed overall by $37.6 million.
In all, outside groups including party committees have spent more than $322 million, dwarfing independent spending in 2006 which totaled $68 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A larger percentage of the spending is ...
Continue readingDaily Disclosures
A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures: Only $874,265... View Article
Continue readingDaily Disclosures
A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures: Dark money:... View Article
Continue readingDark money: Super PACs fueled by $97.5 million that can’t be traced to donors
Of the $189 million spent so far by Super PACs, non-profits and labor unions to influence the 2010 mid-term elections, $97.5 million has come from groups that do not disclose any donors, an analysis of Federal Election Commission contribution records shows. That is, about 52 percent of the money spent so far on everything from political ads to phone banks to fliers promoting or opposing federal candidates has come from groups that don't disclose the sources of their funds.*
Of the 218 non-party committees that have spent money on independent expenditures or electioneering communications, only 100 have disclosed ...
Continue readingDead end disclosure: Super PAC’s biggest giver is a shadowy nonprofit with links to Sarah Palin
Citizens for a Working America PAC, a political organization that's spent $250,000 to oppose the reelection of Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., discloses its contributions to the Federal Election Commission. Its contributor (it has only one) is New Models, a Virginia-based non-profit organized under section 501(c)4 of the Internal Revenue Code, that doesn't disclose its donors.
Call it another wrinkle in the wide open world of 2010 money in politics: Disclosed donors can be anonymous too.
Citizens for a Working America PAC filed a statement of organization with the FEC on Sept. 2, 2010; about ...
Continue readingCitizens United: Before, After, What’s Next?
The Citizens United case was a game changer in terms of money being spent by outside groups on the 2010... View Article
Continue readingRight-leaning outside groups outspending opposition by $40.8 million
Republican-leaning Super PACs and non-party political organizations have reported spending $40.8 million more on mid-term elections than those supporting Democrats, an analysis of Federal Election Commission data shows.
Overall, there are 202 organizations spending money to influence the 2010 mid-terms, of which only 93 have disclosed their donors to the Federal Election Commission so far. Additional groups may disclose donors later this week, and some organizations known as 527 committees after the section of the tax code under which they are organized might disclose their donors to the Internal Revenue Service.
The top spenders are three party committees--the National ...
Continue readingDaily Disclosures
A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures: Dark money:... View Article
Continue readingDid Murkowski certify that Alaskans Standing Together isn’t working with Murkowski?
Alaskans Standing Together is a Super PAC funded by federal contractors based in the 49th state that's trying to help Sen. Lisa Murkowski remain in Congress through a write-in campaign. The organization filed its third quarter disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 13 and an amended version on Oct. 15; on the last page of each, the FEC requires Alaskans Standing Together to avow that it's not working with any candidate or party committee--that it's truly independent. The exact language reads as follows:
Under penalty of perjury I certify that the independent expenditures reported ...Continue reading
Editor’s note: Tracking another Super PAC
Michael Dubke gets around. He's a partner at Crossroads Media, LLC, which buys airtime for political ads for Super PACs and candidates. He "exercises control" (the Federal Election Commission term) over Partnership for America's Future, which buys ads from Crossroads Media. He founded Americans for Job Security, which also buys ads from Crossroads Media. Another Crossroads Media client is Alliance for America's Future, run by Mary Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Richard Cheney. Cheney's former political director, Kara Ahern, works for Alliance for America's Future, filing its disclosures with the FEC. She's ...
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